When flown properly, drones are spectacular at capturing breathtaking aerial footage. When flown by poorly trained users, they’re also great at crashing.

And thanks to a drunken government employee who crashed his DJI Phantom drone into the White House lawn this week, there’s been no shortage of drone fail talk. We thought what better time to take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the most epic drone failures than now.

From user error to angry hawks, the drones in the following videos came down and they came down hard. But maybe they should be a warning to all you new drone flyers out there to know the rules of the air before flying, and maybe don’t buy the most expensive drone while you’re still learning the ropes.

Want to share a drone crash with us? Send tips to scrowe@ehpub.com.

About the Author

Steve Crowe · Steve Crowe is managing editor of Robotics Trends. Steve has been writing about technology since 2008. He lives in Belchertown, MA with his wife and daughter.